Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-08-28

james Parton says, in the Philadel-
phia Press.
Not long ago, standing upon the en-
inence which Is the site Of a famous
New York university. one OF the pro
ieseors said, in reply % question:
/" We succeed With everything here
except IN the department Of agricui-
ture. We cannot make our students
take an interest in farming. A good
many Of our students have been
brought mp on farms. They have h0ed
corn and driven cows from their sew
enth year. They have done all Of that
kind Of work they ever mean to do,
unless compelled By memorable neces-
sity."
Who can blame them7 Let any rea-
sonable being visit one Of our old
fashioned. one-horse farms in any Of
/ the older States, and he viii not be dis
posed to scoid those sons Of farmers.
One day last summer I sought shelter
from a shower Ia the barn OF one such
on the coast Of New England. The
interior OF that huge old barn was
spectacle Of dilapidation. This with
cred old baFn, relic of other days,
other men, other modes, was visible
commentary upon the remarks Of the
professor. There was nothing vigor-
Gus or hopeful about the place, except
q young bull calf with which the pro-
prietor had . severe tussle in getting
him away from his mother The very
spirit OF desosation bFooded over the
scene, for the last two generations Of
farmers had been utterly defeated
and laid PROSTATE by Western compe-
titions.
q tried winter squash, " said one Of
them, and raised thirty tons Just
as was getting ready 10 haul them to
market along came . train from Ohio
full OF squashes and knocked down the
price 70 . point that would not pay for
hauling.
And now we hear the Western farm
ers ask, How can we raise grain against
the competition OF Bombay, with its
fertile, boundless plains and teeming
millions Of labofers which the Suez
Canal and the freight steamers have
put within q days Of LondOn7 read
myself the other day in the London
Times q paragraph which mentioned
the arrival OF a steamer from Bombay
containing 5000 tons OF wheat and 900
bales of cotton, which had left Bombay
p days before. This pFodigious cargo
was discharged from the vessel in %
hours.
These are weighty facts. They an
nounce changes in human conditions
OF the most radical nature aud wide
spread extent. The opening Of the
boundless grain regions Of Northern
India is % the farmers of the West
what the train-load Of squashes was 10
the Yankee. IL announces that our
race Is going 70 raise and distribute its
daily bread on business-like and econ
omical principles. Agriculture is about
10 become liberal profession, directed
by intelligence, sustained by capital,
and its product distributed with the
minimum of waste. Instead Of repel-
ling young men, rs Il now naturally
does, Il win attract those who have am
hition, force, patience and intellect.
This raises a question for the con
sideration Of our east Of the noun
tain friends; " How can we raise
grain against the competition Of Bonn
bay ?" question, if properly answered,
that we do not want to "raise grain
against the competition Of Bombay"
Rather let us produce more fruit, more
butter. more cheese, more sugar, from
the beet) more everything or anything
Of use to the human family that re-
quires the exercise of the brain beyond
that Of blowing the ground with astick
and beating the bearded heads with q
hail. Letus look more tofarming that
requires thought, and we win then be
able TO enlist the interest of the brainy
| youths in farming.